UN Watch facts for kids
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| Founded | 1993 |
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| Type | Non-governmental organization |
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| Fields | United Nations, Human rights and struggle against anti-Semitism |
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Key people
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Alfred H. Moses, Chair; Per Ahlmark, David A. Harris, Co-Chairs; Hillel Neuer, Executive Director Morris B. Abram, Founder |
UN Watch is a group based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is a non-governmental organization (NGO). Its main goal is to keep an eye on the United Nations (UN). They check if the UN is following its own rules and goals, especially about human rights.
UN Watch is officially recognized by the UN. This means they can attend meetings and share their ideas. They are known for speaking out against human rights problems around the world. For example, they have talked about issues in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, China, Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela. They often give a voice to people who are not allowed to speak freely in their own countries. UN Watch also focuses on what it sees as unfair treatment of Israel at the UN.
Contents
How UN Watch Started
UN Watch was created in 1993. Morris B. Abram was its first leader. He was a well-known person who had led other important groups. He was also the president of a university.
Morris B. Abram believed the UN was very important. In 1999, he said that the UN was a "must-have" organization. He felt that countries should support it, even with its problems. He thought it was the only group that truly connected the whole world.
After Morris B. Abram passed away in 2000, David A. Harris became the new leader. For a while, UN Watch was part of another group called the American Jewish Committee. But since 2013, UN Watch has been an independent organization. This means it makes its own decisions.
How UN Watch Works
UN Watch has a special status with the UN. This allows them to join many UN meetings and discussions. They can share their views on human rights and other global issues.
The group has taken part in many UN activities. These include meetings about human rights and how to protect them. They also visit UN places and learn about the work of groups like the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum.
In 2008, UN Watch had six staff members. By 2007, it had 110 members from different parts of the world. Their newsletter, which shares news about the UN, reaches almost 5,000 people globally.
News outlets like the BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Washington Post have shared comments from UN Watch.
Leaders and Money
UN Watch has a board of directors. These are people who help guide the organization. They include human rights experts, former politicians, and activists from different countries. For example, Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, is on the board.
UN Watch gets its money from private donations. These come from individuals and groups that support its work.
What UN Watch Does
UN Watch works on many important issues around the world. They speak up for human rights and fairness.
Helping Different Countries
Congo
In 2008, UN Watch spoke out about the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were upset that the UN removed a special person who watched human rights there. UN Watch asked the UN to bring this position back. Many other groups agreed with them.
Darfur
In 2008, UN Watch joined a campaign called "Justice for Darfur." They worked with groups like Amnesty International. The campaign asked the UN and governments to make Sudan cooperate with the International Criminal Court. They wanted people accused of war crimes to be arrested.
Iran
In 2010, UN Watch praised countries like the US and France. These countries strongly criticized Iran's human rights record at a UN meeting.
Switzerland
In 2009, Switzerland voted to ban minarets (towers on mosques). UN Watch said this was unfair. They called it wrong to ban religious buildings. They said they would work to change this rule.
UN Human Rights Council Elections
UN Watch often works with another group called Freedom House. They try to stop countries with poor human rights records from joining the United Nations Human Rights Council. This council is supposed to protect human rights. UN rules say that countries elected to the council should care about human rights.
Speaking Out Against Unfit Countries
In 2007 and 2009, UN Watch and Freedom House released reports. They said that some countries running for the Human Rights Council were not fit to join. They called countries like China, Cuba, and Saudi Arabia "the worst of the worst" for human rights. They argued that these countries often violate human rights themselves.
In 2011, UN Watch was important in stopping Syria from getting a seat on the council. In 2014, they strongly criticized the election of Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba, and Russia to the council. They called it a "black day for human rights." UN Watch continues to campaign for a "Dictator-free HRC."
Other UN Activities
Israel and Unfair Treatment
UN Watch works hard at the UN to fight what it sees as unfair treatment of Israel. They believe some UN groups are biased against Israel. They also work against anti-Jewish feelings (antisemitism) at the UN.
The group supported former UN leader Kofi Annan. He wanted to stop the UN's unbalanced treatment of Israel. UN Watch has been very critical of the United Nations Human Rights Council for this reason.
Speech at the UN Human Rights Council
In March 2007, Hillel Neuer, the director of UN Watch, gave a strong speech. He told the UN Human Rights Council that it had become a "nightmare." He said the council ignored human rights problems in many places. Instead, it focused too much on criticizing only one country: Israel.
He also said that the council's concern for Palestinians was not real. He gave examples where the council ignored bad things happening to Palestinians if Israel could not be blamed. He believed that some countries on the council did not truly care about human rights. He felt they just wanted to make Israel look bad.
